For more information, contact:
Dr. Nicholas Fischer
860.437.3303
fischern@newlondon.org

NEW LONDON PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENTS IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
 ON 2010 CONNECTICUT MASTERY TEST

District increases in student achievement show progress from Proficiency to Goal/
follow statewide trend of improving student performance   

NEW LONDON, CT (July 15, 2010) - - New London Public Schools demonstrated statistically significant increases in student achievement, as measured by the 2010 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT). Most notable are the increases in mathematics, Grades 3, 5, 7 and 8 and the percentages of students who have moved from Proficiency to Goal in both reading and mathematics.

“The positive trend of improved student achievement is very encouraging and the direct result of the focus of teachers and administrators on making significant gains,” said Dr. Nicholas Fischer, Superintendent of the New London Public Schools.

Dr. Fischer attributed the gains to: improved instructional practices; the implementation of a new, more rigorous, core mathematics program; development of literacy and mathematics curricula; development of intervention groups for literacy and mathematics based on assessment data; and effective use of data to address student academic needs.  

“While the increases in student achievement in general show progress over time, there are areas for continued concern,” Dr. Fischer added, citing in particular the flat 4th grade scores and all writing scores (in spite of some exceptions in certain schools and/or subgroup populations).

For the CMT, five levels of student performance are reported: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, Goal and Advanced. The Proficient Level is used to identify schools and districts making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The Goal level is more challenging than the Proficient Level and the state target for student performance.

The CMT assesses approximately 250,000 students on their application of skills and knowledge in the core academic content areas of mathematics, reading and writing in Grades 3 through 8, and in science in Grades 5 and 8. This year marked the fifth administration of the Fourth Generation CMT, which was first administered in March 2006. The March 2006 serves as a baseline for examining changes in student performance over the course of the Fourth Generation.

In September, parents will receive CMT score reports that provide individual student performance date for their children.

Please see the attached Addendum for tables and graphs that provide an overview and analysis of student performance in the New London Public Schools.

Click for Attached Addendum

Nicholas A. Fischer, Ed.D.
Superintendent, New London Public Schools

Press Release

June 30, 2010

Being good stewards of the City’s, state and federal funds, the New London Public Schools began imposing sharp limits on spending in November, 2009.  We anticipated that the Schools might face unexpected costs and limited revenues heading into the Spring of 2010.

In an effort to enhance the relationship between the City of New London and New London Public Schools—to the advantage of our Students and the Community as a whole—the Board of Education would like to make a good-faith offer that will enable the City to take swift action in facilitating long-overdue repairs in our High School—at NO additional cost to the City or its Citizens. In fact, this measure will offset most of the impact of the state-mandated release of ECS funds and save New London Taxpayers approximately $400,000 in capital expenditures.

As you know, the High School’s pool has been deteriorating for a long time and is now in a state of such disrepair that the Ledge Light Health District recently banned its use until needed repairs—estimated at $250,000—are completed. This is a tremendous loss not only to our High School students, but also to the New London Parks and Recreation Department, which extends use of the pool to community program participants.

Additionally, seats in the High School auditorium have been in desperate need of replacement for nearly a decade, at a cost that has grown to approximately $ 60-80,000.   Further, the curtain at the New London High School auditorium is ripped and reflects poorly on the image of the school.  It will cost about $25,000.  And finally, in keeping Harbor School open we are facing repair costs in the vicinity of $130,000.

As capital expenditures, the cost of these repairs and replacements normally falls to the City. This, however, would strain the City budget and could place an increased tax burden on our Citizens.

Therefore, in order to:  1) protect the Citizens of New London from a possible tax hike during difficult economic times;  2) assure the Community that the City of New London and its Board of Education are effectively working together to resolve problems affecting our Schools and our Community; and 3) act in the best interests of our Students—who deserve safe, functioning facilities on par with those of other cities in our state—NLPS is offering to underwrite these capital expenditures by tapping into cost savings achieved by working cooperatively with the City in areas such as benefits and energy (which are unrelated to, and separate from, the 2%ECS and CNP funds at issue of late).

This will not only save the City and its Taxpayers an estimated $400,000, but it will also demonstrate to the Community that the Board of Education is eager to work  with the City in order to resolve long-standing problems in an expedient manner—to the great satisfaction of our Students, their Parents, and all of our Citizens. Now is the time to extend our best cooperative problem-solving efforts. In doing so, it is our hope that the City and the Board of Education can build the kind of mutual trust and respect that will serve as a shining example for our Students and our Community